Process for the manufacture of steel.



pin erases ANT SAMUEL S. WALES, 0F MUNHALL,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CARNEGIE STEEl COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

IPROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented h1g1, 28, 1911, Applicationfiled December 11, 1908. Serial No. 466,938.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. WALES, ofMunhall, in the county of Allegheny and "State of Pennsyl ania, haveinvented a new and useful Process for'the Manufacture of Steel, of whichthe following is a specification.

In the practice of my invention I use a single furnace, provided withelectrodes or other appliances of a known kind for the ap plication ofelectrically generated heat to the charge, and I provide the furnacewith gas ports and preferably with regenerators such as are used in openhearth furnaces or heating furnaces.

The furnace'is provided-with a refractory lining, and in the practiceof'my in vention a charge of lime or limestone and iron oxid, and ifdesired a proportion of steel scrap, is introduced into the furnace andis heated with the gas flame to a high temperature near to the meltingpoint. Whenthis charge has been heated as above described,.the gas isshut oil from the furnace and a charge of molten pig iron is poured intoit. A reaction at once ensues, the carbon being lowered and thephosphorus and silicon of the iron passing into the slag. The slag asformed is allowed to flow from the furnace through a suitable slag notchprovided for that purpose at the proper level. At thecompletion of thisviolent reaction and after the removal of the bulk of the slag, whichmay occupy fifteen to thirty minutes, more or less, the carbons formingthe electrodes are lowered andelectrical heat is applied to the bath.New slag forming material is now added, and the treatment is continuedwith the application of electrical heat until the'charge has beenbrought to the carbon content and desired condition for tapping. In thisprocess the silicon and phosphorus are substantially removed at thepreliminary stage and a large proportion of the carbon, the charge beingproportioned so that the netcarbon content of'the bath at thisstage issome- What, though not greatly in excess of the percentage of carbon inthe finished steel. The sulfur and free oxygen contained in the non areremoved in the application of the electrical heat.

The advantages of my invention are that it enables the manufacture ofsteel to be carried on with economy of time and electrical energy, andwith very simple apparatus.

I claim:

1. An improvement in the manufacture of steel, which consists inintroducing into a furnace a charge of fluxing material and iron oxid,heating the same with a gas flame, then shutting oil the gas, pouringmolten pig iron upon the heated body, removing the slag, adding newfiuxing material, and converting the bath into finished steel with theapplication of electrical heat.

2. An improvement in the manufacture of steel which consists in heatinga body of iron oxid and fiuxing material in a regenerative open hearthfurnace, pouring molten metal upon the heated iron oxid and fluxingmaterial, then removing the slag resulting from the addition of themolten pig iron, adding new slag forming material to the bath in thefurnace and then applying electrical heat to the bath in the furnace andcompleting the conversion of the bath into finished steel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto-set my hand.

SAMUEL S. WALES. Witnesses:

THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, ANNAE. WALLACE.

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